“A survey conducted by the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has found nearly half the profession (42.4%), across all practice areas, regularly carry out voluntary legal pro bono work, in addition to paid work. It also found that 36.6% of the Bar regularly volunteer for non-legal charitable organisations.”

“In a report published today the Law Commission is recommending reforms that will bring the Electronic Communications Code up to date with modern technology while continuing to balance the rights of landowners and the public demand for modern communications services.”

“Studies of earnings in the legal profession have consistently shown that women earn less than men and that individuals from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups earn less than their white colleagues. This is confirmed in a review by the Legal Services Board (LSB) of the quantitative data available on the earnings of legal professionals in England and Wales. The LSB published the Review of published evidence on the equality of pay in legal services on 28 February 2013.”

“Article 4a(1) of Council Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA of 13 June 2002 on the European arrest warrant and the surrender procedures between member states (as amended by Council Framework Decision 2009/299/JHA of 26 February 2009) precluded the executing judicial authorities, in the circumstances specified in that provision, from making the execution of a European arrest warrant, issued for the purposes of executing a sentence, conditional upon the conviction rendered in absentia being open to review in the issuing member state. Article 4a(1) of Framework Decision 2002/584 was compatible with the requirements under articles 47 and 48(2) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Article 53 of the Charter did not allow a member state to make the surrender of a person convicted in absentia conditional upon the conviction being open to review in the issuing member state, in order to avoid an adverse effect on the right to a fair trial and the rights of the defence guaranteed by its constitution.”

“Judges dealing with sensitive issues – including child custody – in the family courts have had hate mail sent to their homes, been physically attacked and been victims of attempted assaults in court buildings, according to information obtained by the Guardian.”

“Baroness Helena Kennedy has argued that judges have a tendency to clone themselves when choosing successors. It is hard to avoid that impression in the Supreme Court, which kept its white male first eleven in place yesterday by appointing three new justices: Lord Justice Hughes, Lord Justice Toulson and Lord Hodge. The sole woman amongst 12 justices of our highest appeal court remains Lady Hale. There are no black or Asian judges, not have there ever been.”